


Hope Reborn

by Ink_Gypsy



Category: The Faculty (1998)
Genre: Gen, christmas fics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-25
Updated: 2011-12-25
Packaged: 2017-10-28 01:59:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/302487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zeke can hide his feelings about his parents not spending Christmas with him from everyone but Casey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hope Reborn

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the CZ Twelve Days of Christmas at Live Journal. My prompt was "hope."
> 
> This is post-invasion, but pre-slash.

Casey picked a piece of sausage off his slice and ate it, deciding that pizza toppings tasted just as good off a pizza as they did on it.

Sometimes the thought of Friday night pizza and gaming at Zeke's was the only thing that got Casey through the week. The fact that he'd never expected to share this time with Zeke made it all the more special. He’d been over at Zeke’s one Friday night playing a new video game and Zeke, not wanting to stop their competition for dinner, ordered pizza. Casey had figured that wonderful night was just a one-time thing, but just as he was leaving to go home, Zeke had asked, “Same time next Friday?” And next Friday had become every Friday, including this one, two days before Christmas.

Killing the creature that had masqueraded as Mary Beth might have brought Casey fame, but while the jocks no longer tortured him, none of them considered him a friend. Most of them still thought of him as a geek, so Casey's life at Herrington High hadn't really changed that much, with one exception. Zeke was now a part of it. As far as Casey was concerned, it wasn’t being an alien killer that had raised his school status from zero to hero, it was the fact that Zeke Tyler was now his friend.

Zeke had always been the epitome of cool in Herrington. Casey could still remember the first time he had seen Zeke, on the first day of kindergarten. While most of the kids were crying for their mothers, Zeke had walked into the classroom as if he was an old hand at strange, new places. Of course it hadn’t been Zeke’s mom who had brought him to school that first day, but a maid or a nanny because even then his parents had been on some trip that took them away from their son.

To the casual observer, their absence in his life didn’t seem to bother Zeke, but Casey knew different. He could see a longing in Zeke’s eyes, especially during the holidays, and wished he could do something to make it better for him.

As he finished his second slice of this week’s pie, sausage and mushroom, Casey asked casually, “So do you think your folks will make it home for Christmas this year?”

Had it been anyone else asking, Zeke might have gotten angry, but he knew Casey well enough now to know that his interest was genuine, and he was only asking out of concern. “Not a snowball’s chance in hell,” he replied.

“Even if they don’t make it home,” Casey offered, “they could still call to wish you a Merry Christmas.” Zeke made a face that was the non-verbal equivalent of _not a snowball’s chance in hell_ , but Casey went on anyway. “It could happen, Zeke. You shouldn’t give up hope.”

Zeke shook his head. “Wishing their son a Merry Christmas isn’t a Tyler family tradition.”

“Maybe you should call them,” Casey suggested. “You know where they are, don't you?”

With the hand holding his pizza slice, Zeke gestured toward the little table in the hall that held a telephone and an address book. “Dad’s executive assistant always sends me their itinerary in case of an emergency.” It had come out matter-of-factly, but then Casey saw Zeke’s mask of indifference slip as he said, “As if the Tylers would consider something happening to their son enough of an emergency to cut short one of their trips.” It was over in a moment, and when Zeke looked up he was wearing his familiar, charming smile.

“Ah, can I have another Coke?” Casey asked, just to have something to say.

While Casey had stuck with Coke, Zeke had been drinking beer, and he stood up, announcing, “I need to take a piss. You know where the kitchen is. Help yourself.”

After Zeke had gone upstairs, Casey went into the kitchen and got his Coke. He popped the top of the can and took a swallow, then headed back to the living room. Half-way there he detoured to the hall and picked up the address book. There was a paper sticking out from the top, and unable to resist snooping, he pulled it out so he could read it. It was the itinerary Zeke had mentioned. The Tylers were spending Christmas in Paris, staying at The Four Seasons Hotel. When he heard the toilet flush, he quickly replaced the paper, and by the time Zeke came back downstairs, Casey was sitting on the couch eating his third slice of pizza.

Zeke sat down beside him, picked up his game controller and asked, “Ready for a rematch?”

“You bet,” Casey told him, trying his best to look ferocious. “Prepare to be humiliated.”

“In your dreams, Connor.”

******

Even though he’d told Mrs. Connor that he’d join her family for Christmas dinner, now that it was time to leave for their house, Zeke didn’t want to go. He didn’t think he could take sitting around the table with a normal family, something he’d never had, and never would. As much as he tried to put it out of his mind, he couldn’t stop thinking about Casey’s words.

_Even if they don’t make it home, they could still call to wish you a Merry Christmas._

Zeke had long ago accepted the way it was, but then Casey had to go and make him think about things he knew were impossible. The kid lived in a fantasy world where hope reigned and if you wanted something enough you could make it happen, but Zeke was smart enough to know it was all a crock of shit.

It was settled. There was no way Zeke was going to the Connors today. He was about to call Casey and tell him he wasn’t going to be able to make it when the phone rang. Zeke shook his head, smiling in spite of himself. Casey was nothing if not predictable. The little geek was no doubt calling to make sure Zeke hadn’t changed his mind. Picking up the receiver, he began, “Look, Case—“

“Ezekiel?” Zeke was struck dumb, causing the voice on the phone to ask again, “Ezekiel? Are you there?”

Zeke finally found his voice. “Mom?”

“We wanted to call and wish you a Merry Christmas.”

Zeke swallowed hard¸ his throat suddenly tight. “Merry Christmas to you, Mom, and to Dad, too.”

“I love you, baby.”

“I love you, too, Mom.”

******

“I’ll get it,” Casey called to his mother when the doorbell rang. He opened the door to Zeke. “I was afraid you’d changed your mind,” he said with relief, and stepped back from the door to let Zeke inside. “Come on. Dinner’s almost ready.”

Instead of coming in, Zeke pulled Casey outside so they were standing together on the front stoop. “They called!” he said excitedly.

“Who called?” Casey asked.

“My folks,” Zeke explained. “It happened just like you said it would. They called all the way from Paris to wish me a Merry Christmas. I couldn’t believe it.”

“That’s great, Zeke.” On impulse, Casey hugged him, and to his surprise, Zeke hugged back. ”I told you not to give up hope.”

They went into the house together and Mrs. Connor greeted Zeke with, “We’re so glad you could join us, Zeke.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Connor. So am I.”

After Zeke had gone home, Casey helped his mother with the dinner dishes. “That was a very nice thing you did, Casey,” Mrs. Connor told her son, “inviting your friend to join us so he wouldn’t have to spend Christmas alone. It warmed my heart to see him looking so happy.”

“Mine, too, Mom,” Casey replied with a smile. He only hoped his mother would recall that nice warm feeling when she got next month’s phone bill and saw the long-distance charges for a call to Paris.


End file.
